A Study of Anarchy: The Lenape

[Amric]

Having just read this very fascinating book, I thought I would try an AAR using the concept of Anarchy. Weak central government, strong freedoms for the people, free trade, all that sort of thing. Will attempt to keep the Europeans off of the North American continent. With a twist!

No standing army. Will only recruit when going to war. Will trade aggressively, colonize, and try to bring other North American tribes to me by diplomacy.

The storyline will be about the freedoms of the people, while the government will atrophy to nearly nothing. Leaders mean nothing. In fact, warfare will be different than you can imagine.

Settings:

Normal/Normal
Version 1.07 July 23 beta

I started as Portugal to use their explorers to get to North America. After that I conquered the Lenape and forced them to become Catholic. Built them up nicely and released them as a vassal. Canceled the vassalization and made them take Susquehanna back. It is around 1500 and now I am the Lenape. I've gotten them to land level 5, naval level 3, and tech level 3, and they have Portugal's trade level. I had explored a bit to the south of the Lenape so they would have somewhere to colonize. I know, an exploitive cheat, so to speak...but I think you will like the story. At least I hope so, anyway.

I will start the tale with the Portuguese conquering the Lenape and go from there.

[Valdemar]

What are you on?

This is your what, Fourth AAR in 6 months?

Looks promising, I'll try and catch this one from the start

V

[Lord Durham]

What are you on?

This is your what, Fourth AAR in 6 months?

V

That's simple: Speed.

The man's an AARcoholic...

[Amric]

Valdemar- When inspiration strikes I have to grab it...or I can't sleep. Causes me insomnia. True, believe it or not. If it gets into my head I have to do something with it or I just can't sleep. Which is NOT a good thing...

LD- AARcholic, eh? That's pretty good, I like that...


This story won't start for about a week, I think...I did write a first installment, but I want to play ahead a little bit and see what is going to happen.

[Director]

I like the premise and wish you well with the Libertarian Lenape.

Speaking solely for myself I don't consider your setup an exploit or cheat, since you did tell us what you were doing and why.

'AARcoholic' indeed! Write on!

[jwolf]

You have chosen a very interesting premise and game challenge. At first I thought you would be mincemeat in no time, but with Portugal's tech, Catholic religion, and presumably no isolation penalty you just might make it. This will definitely be a fun game to play and watch. Good luck!

[Anibal]

You really deserve the title of hurricane...

Go on, your evil AARcoholic scum!

[Stroph1]

Let's see, start with the Indians AFTER the White Man has come. And now we have non-isolated, Catholic Indians...

I like the premise.

Good luck and may the Great Spirit guide you on your truth quest....

[Gaijin de Moscu]

I love AARs with imagination so I will be reading this one.

[Amric]

Gaijin- So where have you been with my Cyprus AAR? Lots of imagination in that one? Glad to see you'll be watching this one...

Stroph1- Thanks, I'll do my best!

Anibal- Remember you are the one who coined that name...

jwolf- thanks. Mincemeat is never a goal for me...but we'll have to wait and see what happens.

Director- Thanks. I will endeavor to keep to the high standards you have been setting for quite some time...and I am glad you understand my premise and why I did it the way I did...


Okay, I'll post the first installment of this story later this week. Yes, I've written it, but I want to have something to follow and keep the flow of the story clear in my mind. This one will not be going at the breakneck pace that my other stories generally do, although Cyprus is not proceeding quickly either, there is already 30 installments to it...Slow moving but lots of things going on with it....Not sure how quickly this one will be paced yet. And still working on some information for this one, hence the start being later than my normal starts...

[nalivayko]

Good idea, freedom should give you enormous bonus in combat, right? and higher revolt risk when times are hard. I'll be watching this aar and will lend you a hand with screenshots as usual.

[LordLeto]

This could be interesting Amric.


edit:noticed Ive started the same amount of AARs(plus one I abandoned in shame) as Amric.

[Prufrock451]

*waves the black flag*

Power to the people!

So which book did you read?

[Amric]

nalivayko- Thanks....I'll try to be a good writer and have the screenies when necessary to send to you...

Prufrock451- The Probability Broach by L. Neil Smith

[Amric]

The Chief of the Lenape nation was visiting his sister in Manhattan when the awful news reached him. The strangers, known as the Portuguese have invaded the Lenape lands. They were marching toward the village he was staying at, and warriors from all over the province were rallying to defend themselves. Only two summers before one of the white mens ships had arrived to trade some pretty beads and metal axes in friendship.

Apparently the Portuguese were liars. The Lenape raced bravely to engage the enemy. They were wearing shiny clothing and seemed to be standing in straight lines, all together. Our brave warriors attacked, each according to their skills and speed. It was horrible! The enemy slaughtered us like turkeys caught in a blind. Braves fell, writhing and screaming from iron weapons thrust into them. Arrows flew in flights piercing us in many places.

The Chief was one of the first to die, impaled upon a long pole with a metal spike on the end. He was trampled by the white men as they advanced in line to destroy the flower of our menfolk. A few managed to survive and flee to the rest of the nation to warn them of the destructive power of the Portuguese.

Even with all of our warriors we could not keep control of Manhattan. The Portuguese slaughtered any who raised a weapon to them. An unstoppable wave that just couldn’t be defeated. Until they crossed the Delaware River and we are able to push them back with a heroic stand and many arrows piercing the enemy as they tried to cross the river. It was our first victory.

We also managed to throw them out of Susquehanna as well with grievous losses, not only to them, but to us as well. The Portuguese kept right on coming, like a tidal wave. Even after they had taken over all of the lands of our people, still we fought hard. From the forests we would glide out and kill a few of our enemy and ghost away before they could respond in force.

It was a lonely existence. We couldn’t retake our lands. Even with the Iroquois joining the war we couldn’t defeat the white devils. Not that those pumpkin eaters were of any help. Not a single Iroquois warrior came to help. A waste of time, and a true testament to how much we could ever trust them. We would fight until we could fight no longer!

For many seasons we fought. Nearly we recaptured Susquehanna, only to be driven deep into the forests once more. We couldn’t fight any longer. We had no chief. We haven’t had time to vote in a new one. Many of our most capable warriors were either slain or crippled. It would take years before we could be strong again.

The council advised peace. To learn from these white devils so that we could some day drive them away from our lands. It was agreed.

March 11, 1457

This is the date our conquerors tell us we surrendered our lives to them. They claim we had fought them for five years. It was the longest time of fighting many of them could remember, especially against heathen barbarians, as they call us.

Fair enough. We ask to learn everything possible from them. Trusting fools that they are, they agree. On one condition. We must worship their God. Why not? Our gods had done nothing for us. Perhaps we needed this new white god to help us when the time came. It took many years but finally we were considered good Catholics, which is the name of their religion.

God is good. Crops have been plentiful these past years, and we have started a program of birthing as many children as we can. With the new methods of farming and domesticating animals our masters have brought to our lands we can feed more people than ever before.

Someday we would be strong again. Our young people are learning as much about our masters as they can. Metal working, tactics, history, anything and everything so that when we rebel we will be able to face our masters in battle with skills we had not had when they conquered us.


March, 1470

Our masters have been recruiting men to fight their war in some place called Africa against some nation called Algiers. Many have answered the call. It will help us learn even more about our masters and their ways of warfare. We are growing strong again. The births of so many children have brought us back to our nearly pre slavery strength. Although many of our new warriors are young, we have many more learning and growing behind them.

The war lasts for many years, but it is good for us. We have learned much about our masters and believe that soon we will be able to fight against them effectively. We have been petitioning to be granted more rights. The Portuguese have been busy with some territory they snatched away from some tribesmen in South America. The lands there seem to be far richer than ours.

November 27, 1479

We are a NATION again! The Portuguese are tired of our whining, as they call it, and have made us their vassals. Little do they know we are waiting our chance! For in March we cancel the vassalization. Portugal declares war on us. We march into Susquehanna and retake it from the greedy white devils. But our capital is now in Delaware. The white devils send ships with troops to try and force us to our knees.

Not this time. We destroy them and capture the ships. We are sending an army to Fez and wreak havoc on our enemies. Our warriors know the land there and believe they can cause enough discord to make the muslims of Algiers fight the Portuguese and cause our one time masters more problems.

We are successful! Algiers invades Fez! Portugal is now in a war against another foeman. We find out they are also at war with England, Guyenne and some other nation. We capture Fez and set sail for Algarve. We are confident that we can make the Portuguese relinquish their demands on us.

The war has dragged on. The Portuguese chase us in their own country. The horses are amazing beasts. It has helped us keep ahead of our pursuers while we destroy as much of their nation as we can. This was is lengthy. It isn’t until 1490 that the Portuguese sue for peace. They are exhausted, as are we. But the war has been on their shores, not ours and that has been the difference.

They surrender Susquehanna and a truly impressive treasure. 154 ships filled with gold and silver are surrendered to us. We have wealth beyond our imaginings! There is talk of electing a new chief. The council is willing, but only if he agrees that it is an elected position. He can be replaced at any time and that the freedom of the people is to be paramount.

It will be interesting to see what will happen from now on. The Portuguese have been humbled and we are stronger than we have ever been.

[jwolf]

Very nice war of independence, and quite a marathon, too! Well played and well written.

[Farquharson]

This is an interesting read! I am looking forward to seeing where the game goes with your original concept. Lenape was one of my earliest games. I conquered most of North America, but never even set foot in Europe or anywhere else. I pretty much kept the Europeans out, too, so I'm sure you'll have no problems doing that.

[Anibal]

Too bad you didn't force D. João II to accept the old gods from the nature of motherland... but anyway, that's a kind of impressive war, and I'm ready for some more action! Keep it comming!

[Amric]

Farquharson- Well having the tech and maps of Portugal will help in that department.

Anibal- Thanks. Remember that I was still being Portugal at the time...Had sent my forces to Brazil to quell some natives so I could colonize Recife and the Lenape broke the vassalize and declared war almost immediately. Which was okay with me, and then they showed up in Africa and then ducked into Portugal itself. Shocked me. Had to recruit troops and then they got stomped on by the Iroquois...kind of funny in a way...The peace agreement was me giving them back Susquhanna as it was theirs originally.


The next installment might be a little dry but will help better explain the organization of the Lenape government as I see it...

[Machiavellian]

Very interesting so far. I find it amusing how the AI did basically what you were planning on doing yourself. I know I would be shocked if a vassal native american nation suddenly broke its ties and invaded europe.